Drive control for the knitting mechanism of a warp knitting machine



May 26, 1964 K. KOHL 3,134,247

DRIVE CONTROL FOR THE KNITTING MECHANISM OF A WARP KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 4, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 V I 6 "Tfi 1f 15 10 4 a \cjy & 5 T 4 g k Z421 Z HL Al! Eur May 26, 1964 K. KOHL 3,134,247

DRIVE CONTROL FOR THE KNITTING MECHANISM OF A WARP KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 4, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 1 X mZL Kora.

4 em-r 3,134,247 cHANIsu May 26, 1964 KOHL DRIVE CONTROL FOR THE KNITTING NE OF A WARP KNITTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 4, 1962 R o T N E v N ZHEL Z0 KL United States Patent 3,134,247 DRIVE CQNTROL FOR THE KNITTING MECHA- NISM (IF A WARP KNITTING Karl Kohl, Hainstadt (Main), Germany, asslgnor to Karl Mayer, Textilmaschinenfabrik G.m.b.H., Offenbach (Main), Germany Filed Sept. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 221,666 Claims priority, application Germany Sept. 6, 1961 4 Claims. (Cl.-66--86) The present invention relates to improvements in warp knitting machines, and more particularly to a drivecontrol for the knitting mechanism of such machines, which have needle bars and sinker bars.

It is conventional to mount the elements of the knitting mechanism, i.e. the needle bars, the sinker bars and the sinker lifting bars, on separate rocking arms and to reciprocate these arms by cam-controlled means in a predetermined knitting cycle. It has also been proposed to provide a common supporting shaft for the rocking arms which carry the sinker bars and the sinker lifting bars, the sinker bar carrying arms being mounted on this common shaft for free rotation thereabout while the sinker liftingbar carrying arms are .fixedly mounted thereon. In this conventional arrangement, the cam-controlled reciprocating means directly engages the rocking arms carrying the sinker bars and drives the common support shaft for reciprocation of the sinker lifting bars.

Various efforts have been made to increase the efficiency of the. knitting mechanism by reducing the mass'of knitting mechanism elements to be reciprocated during the knitting cycle. None of these efforts has been altogether.

successful.

It-is the primary object of the present invention to provide a drive control which appreciably reduces the mass of moving parts and thus produces a remarkable increase in the knitting capacity of the machine.

This is accomplished in accordance with this invention by fixedly mounting on a first arm supporting shaft a control lever for each of the sinker bar carrying rocking arms and operativelyconnecting the control lever to its associated rocking arm. This arm supporting shaft carries the needle bar carrying rocking arms for free rotation thereabout. Cam-controlled means is linked to the rocking arms and to at least one end of the shaft, respectively, for reciprocating the same. A .linkis preferably. pivoted respectively to the control lever and to the associated rocking arm for providing the operative connection therebetween.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein; 1

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in section, showing the knitting mechanism of a Warp knitting machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a more detailed view of the needle bar drive shown generally in FIG. 1; I

FIG. 3 is a more detailed view of the sinker lifting bar drive shown generally in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a more detailed view of the sinker bar drive shown generally in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a more detailed view of the drive for the needle barsupporting shaft. I

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts in all -figures,.FIG,' 1 shows the essential elements of the over-all control mechanism .for moving the knitting needles and sinkersthrough each knitting cycle, which is controlled by cam means on main driving shaft 5 in a manner well known in the operation of warp knitting machines and fully described ice and illustrated, for instance, in the inventors US. Patent No. 3,008,314. The rotating cam means 10 engages the ends of, and thus operates, connecting or push rods 9, 11 and 17 which, in turn, move the knitting needles, the sinkers and the sinker lifting means in a manner to be fully described hereinafter. The main driving shaft is conventionally mounted in knitting machine bed 4 and driven by any suitable power source (not shown).

The knitting mechanism of the warp knitting machine comprises essentially the knitting needles 18 and the sinkers 3a, the knitting yarn coming to the knitting mechanisrnfrom suitable yarn guides (not shown), as is well known in warp knitting machines. Sinker lifting element 2 also forms part of the illustrated knitting mechanism.

. Each ofthe knitting mechanism elements 18, 3a and 2 are mounted for correlated motion during theknitting cycle on a respective bell crank lever. The needle bar carrier 1 is carried by rocking arm 6;, the sinker bar 3 is carried by rocking arm 12 and the sinker lifting bar 28 is carried by rocking arm 16.- The other end of rock- 1 ing arm 6 is mounted for free rotation on support shaft 7 so that the arm 6 may freely pivot about this shaft. A

shaft control lever 8 is fixedly connected with one end to support shaft 7 whilethe other end of the leverS is linked to the outer end of push rod 9. The support shaft 7 will accordingly be reciprocated about its axis by rod 9 in accordance with the reciprocating movement of the rod determined by rotating cammeans 10. -The rocking arm 6 is pivoted to, push rodll so that it will be swung about shaft 7 by the r'eciprocating movement of rod 11' determined by the rotating cam means 10. The end of rocking arm 12 opposite to the end carrying the sinker bar 3 is mounted for free rotation on a second support shaft 13 so that the arm 12 may freely pivot about this shaft. The sinker bar is reciprocated about shaft 13 by means of control link 14 whose ends are pivoted, respectively, to the rocking arm 12 andto control lever 15 which is fixedly connected to support shaft 7. In this manner, reciprocating of the support shaft will cause rocking of arm 12.

The sinker lifting. element 2 is carried by one end of rocking arm 16 Whose other end is fixedly mounted on second support shaft .13. Intermediate its ends, the rocking arm 16 is linked to push rod 17.. This pushrod is also reciprocated by' rotating cam means 10 whereby the rocking arm 16 with its support shaft 13 is swung about the axis of the support shaft 13.

ing arm 6.

be described in more detail hereinafter in relation to each ofthe elements of the mechanism. FIG. 2 shows the mounting and motion control for the needle bar carry- As shown, the needles 18 are cast into needle bar 1' which is held by the carrier 1. The carrier is supported on one end of rocking arm 6 whose other end is journaled for free rotation on supporting shaft 7, ball bearings 19 being provided for reducing the friction between the rocking arm 6 and its bearing.

The push rod 11 extends through an opening 26 in cover plate 27 of the machine bed 4, the opening being covered by a gasket 25. A connecting element 21 is 'mounted on the outer end'of push rod 11 by means of coupling nut 20. The connecting element is adjustably connected to pivot joint 22, being 'threadedly mounted in a socket extending from the sleeve of the pivot joint and secured by lock nut23. A pivot pin 24 extends from the mocking arm 6 perpendicularly thereto and the sleeve of the pivot joint 22 is rotatably carried on the pivot pin by means of ball bearings 21'; In this manner, reciprocation of push rod 11in the direction of its axis by rotating cam means 10 will swing the needles 18 up and down about shaft 7 in a reciprocating motion.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the sinker lifting element 2 is fixedly mounted on sinker lifting bar 28 which is fixedly connected to one end of rocking arm 16 by means of threaded bolt 29. The other end of the rocking arm has a bearing sleeve Sailwhich is clamped onto supporting shaft 13 by means of tie bolt 31. Similarly to the pivotal connection between push rod and rocking arm shown in FIG. 2, a connecting element 21:; is mounted on the outer end of push rod 17 by means of coupling nut 24%. The connecting element is threadedly mounted in a socket extending from the sleeve of pivot joint 22a and secured by lock nut 23a. The pivot pin 24a extends from the rocking arm 16 perpendicularly thereto and the sleeve of the pivot joint is rotatably carried on the pivot pin. In this manner, reciprocation of push rod 17 in the direction of its axisby rotating cam means will swing the sinker lifting element 2 up and down about the axis of shaft 13 in a reciprocating motion.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the sinkers 3a are fixedly mounted on sinker bar 3 which, in turn, is fixedly attached to one end of rocking arm 12 by means of threaded bolts 32. The other end of the rocking arm has a bearing sleeve which is mounted for free rotation on supporting shaft 13. Intermediate its ends, the rocking, arm 12 is linked to one end of control link 14 by means of pin 34.

-in 35 links the other end of the control link to one end or" link control lever 15. The other end of the shaft control lever has a bearing sleeve 36 which is clamped to supporting shaft '7 by means of threaded tie bolts 37, 37a.

As shown in FIG. 5, the support shaft '7, which carries the needle bar carrying arm 6, may be driven at one end, or at both ends, of the knitting machine. For this purpose, there is fixedly connected to shaft 7 a shaft control lever 8 at one end or at both ends of the shaft. The lever 8 has a bearing sleeve 38' at one end thereof, which is clamped to shaft 7 by means of tie bolts 39, 39a. Similarly to the pivotal connection between push rod and rocking armshown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a connecting 'element 21b is mounted onthe outer end of push rod 9 by means of a coupling nut 26b. The connectingelement is threadedly mounted in a socket extending from the sleeve of pivot joint 22a and secured by lock nut 2311. A pivot pin 41 extends from the control lever 8 perpendicularly thereto and the sleeve of the pivot joint is rotatably carried on the pivot pin by means of ball bearings 40. In this manner, reciprocation of push rod 9 in" the direction of its axis, by rotating cam-means 10 will oscillate shaft '7 about its axis, causing the rocking arm 12 to swing up and down about the axis of shaft 13, the rocking arm beingoperatively connected to shaft 7 by link control lever and link 14 and rocking of the arm causing the sinkers 3a to be reciprocated in relation to needles 18.

In this manner, the needles, the sinkers and they sinkerlifting means will be reciprocated in correlation with each other in a knitting cycle determined by rotating cam means 10, the timing of the cam means being no further described and illustrated since it is well known per se in warp knitting machines of the described type. 5 While the invention has been described in connection with one specific embodiment thereof, it will be clearly understood that many modifications and variations may occur to those skilled in the art, particularly after benefiting from the present teaching-without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed'is:

1. A drive control for the knitting mechanism of a warp knitting machine having a needle bar and a sinker bar, comprising I (a) a first rocking arm carrying-the needle bar at one end thereof,

(b) a second rocking arm carrying the sinker bar at one end thereof,

(0) a first arm supporting shaft carrying the other end of the first rocking arm forfree rotation thereabout,

(d) a control lever fixedly mounted on the first arm supporting shaft,

(2) means operatively connecting the control lever with the second rocking arm whereby said second rocking arm will be reciprocated by reciprocation of the first arm supporting shaft about its axis.

(f) a second arm supporting shaft carrying the other end of the second rocking arm for free rotation thereabout, and

(g) cam-controlled means linked to the first rocking arm and to the first arm supporting shaft, respectively, for reciprocating the same.

2. The drive control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the means operatively connecting the control lever with the second rocking arm is a link pivoted respectively to the control lever and to the second rocking arm intermediate its ends.

3. The drive control mechanism of claim 1, wherein said cam-controlled means for reciprocating the first arm supporting shaft is linked to at least one end thereof.

4. The drive control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the machine also includes a sinker lifting bar further comprising (h) a third rocking arm carrying the sinker lifting bar at one end thereof and the other end of-;the third rocking arm being fixedly mounted on the second arm supporting shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,243,850 Amidon Jan. 3,1941 2,941,386 Held June 21, 1960 3,008,314 Kohl Nov.'14, 1961 

1. A DRIVE CONTROL FOR THE KNITTING MECHANISM OF A WARP KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A NEEDLE BAR AND A SINKER BAR, COMPRISING (A) A FIRST ROCKING ARM CARRYING THE NEEDLE BAR AT ONE END THEREOF, (B) A SECOND ROCKING ARM CARRYING THE SINKER BAR AT ONE END THEREOF, (C) A FIRST ARM SUPPORTING SHAFT CARRYING THE OTHER END OF THE FIRST ROCKING ARM FOR FREE ROTATION THEREABOUT, (D) A CONTROL LEVER FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON THE FIRST ARM SUPPORTING SHAFT, (E) MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING THE CONTROL LEVER WITH THE SECOND ROCKING ARM WHEREBY SAID SECOND ROCKING ARM WILL BE RECIPROCATED BY RECIPROCATION OF THE FIRST ARM SUPPORTING SHAFT ABOUT ITS AXIS. (F) A SECOND ARM SUPPORTING SHAFT CARRYING THE OTHER END OF THE SECOND ROCKING ARM FOR FREE ROTATION THEREABOUT, AND (G) CAM-CONTROLLED MEANS LINKED TO THE FIRST ROCKING ARM AND TO THE FIRST ARM SUPPORTING SHAFT, RESPECTIVELY, FOR RECIPROCATING THE SAME. 